Ultrasound and vibratory type emitting devices have been used for medical therapeutic applications over the years. Various types of therapeutic devices have been proposed that apply ultrasonic oscillations and vibrations directly to an affected body part so as to relax muscles, quicken blood flow circulation, enhance healing of the skin, etc. See For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,127 to Abdelghami; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,230,334 and 6,113,559 to Klopotek; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,202 to Noda et al.
However, these devices and systems have practical type limitations. For example, most of these devices are limited to direct contact of a portion of the device itself against the skin of the patient. As a result, the field of application is generally restricted to the areas directly beneath the skin contact point. The body contacting requirement does not allow these devices to easy slide over and across one's skin to different areas to be treated. Thus, moving these devices to other body areas usually requires that the device be physically raised, moved and lowered again to the area to be treated.
Furthermore, these devices are generally limited to using acoustical type vibratory signal emissions from a single generator type unit such as an electromagnetic generator, and does not use other energy sources, nor applies other energy emissions for treatments. Still furthermore, the single generators are generally limited to generating only fixed frequency outputs.
The subject inventor has previously sold a handheld tool entitled: Tens Cam having a single fixed frequency generating crystal that solely relied on an electromagnetic induction coil to drive the single crystal. A fixed frequency of approximately 8 Hertz was generated by an electromagnetic source in a narrow beam having a diameter of approximately 1 to approximately 2 millimeters. The delay time for therapeutic effects of the Tens Cam unit was approximately two to approximately four (4) minutes to generate therapeutic effects on the patient which became difficult to do over continuous treatments that required the operator to physically hold the unit which weighed almost one pound, above the patient being treated. In addition other problems existed with this unit. Operator fatigue was an inherent result of using this unit.
The Tens Cam unit required an operator to physically hold the unit above a patient throughout the treatment process so that the operator received direct vibratory effects from physically holding the unit. The combination of constantly holding the weight of the unit and the direct vibratory effects, along with the operator being constantly within the generation field of the unit created side effects such as but not limited to fatigue and malaise for the operator. Operators repeatedly using the Tens Cam have complained of side effects of median nerve paraethias, which is a numbness and tingling effect to their hands and fingers.
Additional problems with other electromagnetic and with vibratory units is that all these units can be known to give off heat which has caused tissue damage. Furthermore, theses prior art type units have limitations as to the tissue penetration being achieved, since the tissue penetration depth is limited by the mechanical nature of the vibrations.
None of these devices described above takes in additional energy to aid in the therapy treatment. Thus, these prior art devices are limited to mechanical devices and do not incorporate other approaches with their use. Furthermore, using strictly handheld supported devices can potentially injure the patients themselves, if the operator directly contacts the patients with the devices.